Song Sparrow vs Lincoln’s Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

How to recognise a song sparrow?

General appearance

A song sparrow is the size of a robin, with a fairly long tail. Its distinctive markings include a striped face and streaks on its chest, often merging into a central blotch. The bird displays a range of colors, including black, brown, gray, red, and white. Its wings are broad and its tail can be notched, rounded, or square-tipped. It is often seen in open fields.

Male vs female

Both male and female song sparrows have similar appearances, making it difficult to tell them apart by sight alone. Both genders share the same size, coloration, and physical traits, such as their striped faces, long tails, and chest markings.

Juvenile

Juvenile song sparrows have similarly colored plumage to adults but typically appear more muted. Their chest streaks may not be as prominent and can take some time to fully develop. As they mature, they grow into their characteristic markings and colorations.

Size

4.7 - 6.7 in/0.4 - 1.9 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The song sparrow typically inhabits thickets, brush, marshes, roadsides, and gardens, particularly in areas with brushy fields, streamsides, shrubby marsh edges, woodland edges, hedgerows and well-vegetated gardens.

Additional range

Its environmental range varies, from coastal populations in salt marshes to sparse habitats such as dense streamside brush in southwestern deserts and any dense low cover on the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

Range Map

What do song sparrows like to eat?

Natural diet

The song sparrow's diet consists primarily of insects and seeds. During summer, it consumes a wide variety of insects, including beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, and wasps, as well as spiders. In winter, its diet shifts to focus heavily on seeds, particularly those of grasses and weeds. In coastal marshes and island habitats, song sparrows may also feed on small crustaceans and mollusks and occasionally small fish.

Bird feeders

Song sparrows are known to visit bird feeders, where they often consume seeds. Common foods at feeders include millet, cracked corn, and sunflower seeds, which provide a convenient supplement to their natural diet, especially during colder months when insects are less abundant.

What does a song sparrow sound like?

The song sparrow vocalizes with an array of distinct patterns. Its song typically starts with 3 short notes, interpreted as "Madge-Madge-Madge," followed by a varied trill mimicking "put-on-your-tea-kettle-ettle-ettle.” The call patterns mirror a falling, rising, and undulating rhythm. The types of calls emitted include a buzz, chirp or chip, hi, trill, and a whistle, creating a complex communication repertoire unique to this bird species.

Call

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 3.0

Song

Audio by Jonathon Jongsma

/ CC BY-SA 3.0

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Lincoln’s Sparrow

Melospiza lincolnii

How to recognise a Lincoln's sparrow?

General appearance

The Lincoln’s Sparrow is about the size of a common Sparrow, measuring 5-6 inches, which is equivalent to 13-15 cm. They are characterized by contrasting face colors including a buff-colored 'whisker', gray eyebrows, as well as brown cheeks and crown. Their chest is richly buff, finely streaked with narrow black lines. Their wings are broad in shape, and they have a notched, rounded, or square-tipped tail. Their colors range from black, brown, and gray, to tan and white.

Male vs female

There is no distinctive coloration or physical trait differences between male and female Lincoln’s Sparrows as they are similar in both size and colors. Both sexes possess the distinctive buff-whisker and brown cheeks making gender identification challenging in the wild.

Juvenile

Juvenile Lincoln’s Sparrows can be mistaken for juvenile Song Sparrows in the summer due to their buffy color and narrow streaks. However, these young sparrows will usually take on the distinctive adult coloring and streaking as they mature.

Size

5.1 - 5.9 in/0.6 - 0.8 oz

Habitat

Primary habitat

The Lincoln’s sparrow typically resides in northern and mountainous regions with dense low vegetation near water, such as streamside willow groves, bushy bog edges, and brushy clearings in wet coniferous forest.

Additional range

In winter, this bird retreats to thickets, weeds, and overgrown fields. It prefers environments such as willow and alder thickets, muskeg, and brushy bogs.

Range Map

What do Lincoln’s sparrows like to eat?

Natural diet

Lincoln's sparrow primarily feeds on insects and spiders during the summer months. It consumes beetles, caterpillars, ants, and flies which provide essential protein for breeding and growth. During the fall and winter, its diet shifts to seeds and grains, including weed seeds, small fruits, and occasionally berries, enabling survival in colder climates.

Bird feeders

Though Lincoln's sparrow does not frequent feeders as often as some other sparrows, it might occasionally be found consuming millet, sunflower seeds, and cracked corn. Providing mixed seed blends can attract these birds, especially in areas close to their natural habitats.

What does a Lincoln's sparrow sound like?

The Lincoln's Sparrow produces rich, melodic vocalizations distinguished by a wren-like song, underscored by a gurgling sound. This song, characterized by a rise in the middle and sudden drop at the end, features a unique, undulating call pattern. Its typical calls can be described as a "Chirp" or "Chip," often interspersed with trilling sounds and whistles, demonstrating a variety in their method of communication.

Call

Audio by Paul Marvin

/ CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song

Audio by Richard E. Webster

/ CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

There's more to learn about Lincoln’s Sparrow

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Song Sparrow

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Lincoln’s Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Melospiza melodia

General appearance

A song sparrow is the size of a robin, with a fairly long tail. Its distinctive markings include a striped face and streaks on its chest, often merging into a central blotch. The bird displays a range of colors, including black, brown, gray, red, and white. Its wings are broad and its tail can be notched, rounded, or square-tipped. It is often seen in open fields.

Male vs female

Both male and female song sparrows have similar appearances, making it difficult to tell them apart by sight alone. Both genders share the same size, coloration, and physical traits, such as their striped faces, long tails, and chest markings.

Juvenile

Juvenile song sparrows have similarly colored plumage to adults but typically appear more muted. Their chest streaks may not be as prominent and can take some time to fully develop. As they mature, they grow into their characteristic markings and colorations.

Size

4.7 - 6.7 in/0.4 - 1.9 oz

There's more to learn about Song Sparrow

View full details

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Melospiza lincolnii

General appearance

The Lincoln’s Sparrow is about the size of a common Sparrow, measuring 5-6 inches, which is equivalent to 13-15 cm. They are characterized by contrasting face colors including a buff-colored 'whisker', gray eyebrows, as well as brown cheeks and crown. Their chest is richly buff, finely streaked with narrow black lines. Their wings are broad in shape, and they have a notched, rounded, or square-tipped tail. Their colors range from black, brown, and gray, to tan and white.

Male vs female

There is no distinctive coloration or physical trait differences between male and female Lincoln’s Sparrows as they are similar in both size and colors. Both sexes possess the distinctive buff-whisker and brown cheeks making gender identification challenging in the wild.

Juvenile

Juvenile Lincoln’s Sparrows can be mistaken for juvenile Song Sparrows in the summer due to their buffy color and narrow streaks. However, these young sparrows will usually take on the distinctive adult coloring and streaking as they mature.

Size

5.1 - 5.9 in/0.6 - 0.8 oz

There's more to learn about Lincoln’s Sparrow

View full details

How to tell the Song Sparrow from the Lincoln’s Sparrow

Visual differences

Song Sparrows (4.7-6.7 in, 0.4-1.9 oz) are generally larger than Lincoln's Sparrows (5-6 in, 0.6-0.8 oz). Song Sparrows have a stripy face with chest streaks merging into a central blotch, while Lincoln's Sparrows have contrasting face markings, including buff "whiskers." The Song Sparrow's plumage is more varied (black, brown, gray, red, white) compared to Lincoln's Sparrow, which features buff and brown coloration with fine streaking. Both have similar wing and tail shapes, making beak size and overall bulk useful differentiators.

Key differences and behavior

Song Sparrows and Lincoln’s Sparrows exhibit distinct behavioral traits. Song Sparrows are more vocal, especially in spring, singing frequently with varied melodies, whereas male Lincoln’s Sparrows sing less but may do so in colder mornings, an indicator of mate quality. Song Sparrows favor diverse habitats, from marshes to gardens, while Lincoln’s Sparrows prefer dense, watery regions like streamside thickets. Both species forage on the ground, but Song Sparrows perform a characteristic kicking motion while foraging. They also visit feeders more often. Song Sparrows’ nests are more versatile, ranging from ground to low vegetation, whereas Lincoln’s are solely ground-based, well-concealed among mosses. Interspecies territory competition typically gives Song Sparrows an advantage. Despite dietary similarities, Lincoln's Sparrows are less frequent at feeders. Their size also slightly differs, with Lincoln's Sparrows being lighter and smaller than Song Sparrows.

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Song Sparrow or Lincoln’s Sparrow?

Song Sparrow

How to recognise a song sparrow?

Habitat

What do song sparrows like to eat?

What does a song sparrow sound like?

Call

Song

There's more to learn about Song Sparrow

Lincoln’s Sparrow

How to recognise a Lincoln's sparrow?

Habitat

What do Lincoln’s sparrows like to eat?

What does a Lincoln's sparrow sound like?

Call

Song

There's more to learn about Lincoln’s Sparrow

Song Sparrow

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Lincoln’s Sparrow

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Visual differences

Key differences and behavior

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